SILVER FOX FARMING. 
21 
them properly. It is very important that their condition from day 
to day be known. But the great value of the cubs, and their danger 
from the irritability of their mothers, generally cause the keeper to 
refrain from looking into the dens. By watching the behavior of the 
mothers they judge whether or not the young are doing well. It has 
been demonstrated by at least one progressive keeper that this uncer- 
tainty is by no means necessary. Foxes are not excited by routine 
events. By giving them large two-room dens, similar to the one 
shown in figure 9, and always feeding them in the outer compartment, 
they are led to expect the entrance of the keeper as the regular pre- 
liminary to each meal, and even to welcome 
it. When the keeper enters, they, of course, 
depart, leaving him free to look into the in- 
ner den. He should not touch the cubs un- 
less they need attention. 
The young are small and weak at first, and 
their mother remains with them almost con- 
stantly for the first three days. They grow 
rapidly and usually begin to appear outside 
the den in about a month. When 6 weeks 
old they eat more or less solid food. After 
this they may be weaned. Many breeders 
leave the weaning entirely to the vixen un- 
less she is becoming emaciated. A decided 
advantage in weaning cubs when they are 6 
or 8 weeks old is that when the keeper con- 
trols their food he can more easily eradicate 
the intestinal worms which usually infest 
them. Care should be taken to keep early- 
weaned cubs clean and dry. In case of 
accident to a mother fox, cubs may be Fm - 20 -- Sec ^ of a fence contain- 
; . J nig a smooth zone to protect foxes 
reared by Cats almost from birth. Not from injury by falling. Concrete 
more than two cubs should be given to one foundation and iron posts. 
cat. After they are about 3 weeks o]d their teeth become large 
and sharp enough to lacerate their foster mothers, and they must 
be reared by hand. 
BEHAVIOR IN CAPTIVITY. 
Aside from propagation, the domestication of foxes has proved 
simple. It is true that they rarely become very tame. Even after 
several generations of parents reared in captivity the offspring retain 
the wildness characteristic of the species. Nevertheless they are 
amenable to gentleness. They quickly learn to recognize their keeper 
and to come to the feeding place when called. Most of them can be 
induced to take food from the hand, but their tempers are uncertain. 
